Little Spotlights: Mama Is It Summer Yet? Nikki McClure

Mama Is It Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure

Group: Picture Books
Published: Abrams 2010
Key Words: Papercut, Seasons, Mama

Littlefae says

I want a winter one. I really like it, the little ducklings are so cute. It tells the story from Winter and Spring

Tinyfae says

I like the little one…and I like ducks

Mama Is It Summer Yet? is such a wonderful celebration of the changes in the natural world between Winter and Spring.

First of all the art in this book is outstanding considering it is all paper cut with an X-Acto knife from a single sheet of paper that is scanned and coloured in digitally. The intricate detail and beauty of it is jaw dropping. Littlefae has loved this book since she was two and it’s become a tradition to mark the steps to the summer season.

The story is a simple call and response of the young boy wishing for summer with mother’s patient replies and explanation. The boys call is repetition of the title phrase which encourages to join in when reading aloud.

The premise is sweet and educational and I love how there is also repetition visually of birds, squirrels, ducks and the same tree which helps to see the seasonal changes that exist in the story continue over time, and indeed see the mother’s words come true as the year marches on towards summer.

It uses calm and sedate colours which is different compared to many super bright summer!!! titles but it works with stimulating the visual senses of even the youngest reader with the use of contrast.

It is also a clever touch that due to the single paper design, the face is constructed with minimal breaks and with the black and monochrome colour scheme the ethnicity of the mother and child are ambiguous which will appeal to various families.

Overall, a gorgeous book that celebrates an intricate art and a relationship with the changing rhythms of the seasons.

Mama Is It Summer Yet? By Nikki McClure is published by Abrams